Fruits of a runic flower. The creepiest plants in the world that may grow near your home

From time to time, amazing pictures of humanoid root vegetables appear on the Internet. What Zheng Decan, a Chinese farmer from Langzhong, demonstrated in 2009 brings to mind the Harry Potter movie - the scene in the greenhouse where Hogwarts students transplant capricious mandrakes, which look like scary babies sitting underground.

The roots of the Chinese flower, called runic, according to evidence different years, sometimes they take on such an incredible appearance. The 62 cm tall Zheng crop has clearly defined arms, legs and head. The farmer comments: “I don’t know whether it’s good or bad that the root looks so much like a person, but I want to bury it back in the ground!”

Let's look at them in more detail...-

Chinese flower (Chinese Fleeceflower), to which magical properties are attributed healing properties(scientific name: Chinese knotweed), has been used since ancient times in folk medicine for the treatment of kidney and liver diseases, strengthening bones and restoring hair, as a general health remedy, and also as a mild laxative. It is also known as Polygonum multiflorum Thunb (multiflorous knotweed)

Photo 3.

Here's what the Chinese say about him:

The fruits of such a plant not only have impressive shapes, but also look like little potato men. These defenseless underground inhabitants are uprooted from the ground by the Chinese, who use the fruits to cure all diseases. Asians believe that this flower helps cure dementia, impotence, cancer and even AIDS. To do this, the little men turn into life-giving powder. However, to achieve this, they are subjected to all sorts of torture, including boiling, skinning, soaking in alcohol, and even dismemberment. Silent little men may someday rise up against such mockery and take revenge on people.

Herbalists describe the properties of the crushed root as follows: sweet, astringent and bitter in taste, warm in nature (but not dry or greasy), has an affinity for the liver and kidney channels. Restores the liver and kidneys, renews the blood, cleanses the original energy. It acts gently and tones very effectively. Anyone who takes runic flower formulations over an extended period will have their life extended.

Most modern Chinese pharmacies stock this natural remedy—for example, a package of 50 sachets of rune flower root in the form of instant tea granules costs $52.00.

Photo 5.

Photo 6.

A Chinese legend tells that there was a man from the Tang Dynasty who suffered from infertility. By using runic flower herb (fo-ti) for treatment, he was able to heal and, in addition, extend his life for a long time. Since then, the plant has been considered magical, and Chinese traditional medicine uses fo-ti to combat premature aging, infectious diseases, angina, impotence and other diseases. The root vegetables are dried and then ground into powder. It is boiled, used as a decoction, or infused in alcohol. The Chinese believe that constant use of pho-ti can lengthen human life up to 256 years.

However, despite great amount This plant has medicinal properties; its most attractive part is the tuber.

Photo 7.

As for the creepy root people, perhaps we are dealing with another example of Chinese entrepreneurship. Techniques for shaping vegetables and fruits have been known for many years. It is likely that root vegetables themselves can take on bizarre shapes, but this rarely happens. Most likely, in order to “help” nature, the roots of young seedlings are placed in special templates, and then replanted as they grow and expand, thereby giving them shocking appearances.

Photo 8.

Photo 9.

There are quite a few versions about this. Some claim that the Chinese plant a runic flower in a clay lump of a certain shape. Thus, the tuber, growing, acquires by autumn an ​​appearance similar to a human figure.

Scientists associate this proliferation of tuber parts with the process of bifurcation of plant tissues, which divide it into two or more large nodes. However, no plant looks more human-like than the runic flower.

For example, like here:

Well, if we return to the mythical mandrake, here’s what we know.

MANDRAGORE is a symbol of all kinds of witchcraft and especially the witchcraft charm of a woman - beautiful and alluring, but at the same time immensely dangerous. This symbol is most fully revealed in the gloomy novel by the German writer Hans Heitz Evers, “Alraune,” whose heroine is “the living mandrake,” the daughter of a prostitute, fertilized with the seed of an executed man. This charming woman brings wealth and pleasure to her lovers, but they all very soon go crazy and die.

Mandrake is an attribute of the Great Mother and the emblem of the sorceress Circe (Circa), who turns people into pigs. In Greece, the mandrake was also associated with Aphrodite, who sometimes received the corresponding epithet. Young men sometimes wore pieces of mandrake as a love amulet.

The name “mandrake” itself probably comes from the Armenian words “mandr” (small) and “or” (like). Symbolic meanings Mandrake is associated with fever, excitement, the masculine principle, invulnerability, and the umbilical cord. In ancient times there was a belief that with the help of mandrake you can buy male strength, find treasure, be cured of infertility and even become invulnerable. And to this day, mandrake retains the glory of a love potion and a remedy for infertility.

The physician Dioscurides (2nd century BC) identified the mandrake with the kirk plant, about which in the tenth song of the Odyssey it is said:

The root was black, the color was like white milk -
Moths call him immortals - it’s dangerous for people
Uproot it from the ground,
But to the gods everything is possible.

Photo 10.

Photo 11.

Mandrake is a sign of the rare, unusual: this is precisely its meaning in the “language of flowers”. The role of mandrake in mythological beliefs is explained by the presence of certain hypnotic and stimulating properties in this plant, as well as the similarity of its root to the lower part of the human body. Therefore, Pythagoras called the mandrake a “human-like plant,” and the Roman writer and agronomist Lucius Columella called it “a half-human grass.” Since ancient times, mandrake has been widely used in folk medicine, magic, witchcraft, and later in alchemy. Among the Germanic peoples, images of household gods were made from mandrake root. Hippocrates used this plant to treat melancholy and suicide attempts, and Josephus Flavius ​​used mandrake to heal those possessed by a demon. Homer mentions that epileptics were treated by inhaling mandrake vapors. There was a belief that the mandrake root served as a powerful thickener of astral energy, and its characteristic human form was considered as the basis for the fantastic theories of magicians who wanted to find the elixir of life in it.

The belief in the stimulating power of mandrake and its role in conception had deep roots: just remember the biblical legend about mandrake apples, which Leah and Rachel use to conceive. The Book of Genesis tells that Leah conceived and gave birth to a fifth son from Jacob after she “bought” him for mandrake apples found by her son Reuben from Rachel. In the Middle Ages, ideas about the ability of mandrake to cause conception led to the emergence of an entire industry for the production of fake mandrake roots.

Photo 14.

Photo 15.

There are known scenes in which the mandrake glows; therefore, it was called the “devil’s candle.” Mandrake is associated with witches (in the Middle Ages in a number of European countries it was called the “witch’s flower”) and sorceresses. It was believed that with the help of mandrake they could deprive a person of beauty and reason.

Pythagoras called the plant anthropomorphic, and Albertus Magnus wrote that mandrakes, like people, come in different genders. Before him, Pliny the Elder argued that the white mandrake is a male, and the black one is a female. In some folk traditions Based on the type of mandrake root, they distinguish between male and female plants and even give them appropriate names in the spirit of folk etymology. In old herbalists, mandrake roots are depicted as male or female forms, with a tuft of leaves growing from the head, sometimes with a dog on a chain or an agonizing dog.

Collectors of the mandrake, whose leaves were used to make narcotics, laxatives and witchcraft potions, drew three circles around it with a sword and had to look only to the west. Its smell is so strong that it leaves people speechless. The plant called mandrake is like a living creature, for when it is uprooted it screams. This scream can drive those who hear it crazy. So, in W. Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” we read:

There is a terrible stench all around, muffled groans,
Similar to the moans of a mandrake,
When they pull it out by the roots, -
That sound plunges a mortal into madness... -

Moreover, according to ancient beliefs, anyone who hears the groan made by a mandrake when it is dug out of the ground must die. To avoid the death of a person and at the same time satisfy the thirst for blood supposedly inherent in the mandrake, by digging it up, they tied up a dog, which was believed to die from agony. In the last book, “History of the Jewish War,” Josephus Flavius ​​advises using a specially trained dog for this purpose, which, having snatched the mandrake, dies.

The image of plants, so closely associated with paganism and witchcraft, could not but undergo changes with the advent of Christianity. During the era of medieval witch hunts, dark legends began to spread about the mandrake. For example, the humanoid form of the mandrake gave rise to legends that it grows at the foot of the gallows. It was said that the mandrake originated from the wet dream of a hanged man that fell to the ground, although Hildegard of Bingen (12th century) believed that the mandrake originated where Adam was created. Thomas Browne wrote in 1646 about the fat of hanged men feeding it.

Photo 12.

Photo 13.

It is interesting that such an interpretation of the image of the mandrake is characteristic only of Western European culture, while in Orthodox world mandrake, or “Adam’s head,” does not have such a sinister meaning and is even considered a remedy against witchcraft.

Source: Borges. H. L. Bestiary: A Book of Fictitious Creatures. M., 2000 - Woman in myths and legends: Encyclopedic reference book. Tashkent, 1992- Sheinina E. Ya. Encyclopedia of symbols. M., 2001 - Encyclopedia of symbols, signs, emblems. M., 1999.

See what a flying dove on a stalk looks like or for example Monkey orchids and Doll's eyes. By the way, who hasn't seen it?

Below you will see several plants that you didn't even know existed.
Doll's Eye

At best, this “beauty” looks like an alien weed, and at worst, like a totem dug into the ground with human eyes planted on it, which Serial killer marked the burial place of all his 666 victims.
This unusual plant is called “doll eyes”. There is also a less telling name for this horror - black sheep.
This plant does not have any special features other than its appearance; you can even taste it, then tell us about your feelings.

Bloody Tooth / Hydnellum peckii

This cute fungus looks like chewed gum, oozing blood and smelling like strawberries. But don’t even think about eating it, because this will be the last “delicacy” you will taste in your life.
The fungus has been known to mankind since 1812 and is considered inedible, i.e. Once upon a time, in dark, dark times, there lived a genius who sacrificed his life for the glory of science in order to warn his descendants against eating this “delicacy.”
In addition to its outstanding external qualities, this abomination has antibacterial properties and contains chemical substances, blood thinners. What can I say, this mushroom may soon become a replacement for penicillin (which, by the way, was derived from a mushroom of the species Penicillium notatum). If you don't have enough thrills, and you intend to immortalize your name in the annals of history at all costs (the Darwin Award and the title of the most stupid suicide on planet Earth are already in your pocket), then just lick this miracle of nature...
Other names: strawberries and cream, the red-juice tooth, devil’s tooth, bleeding tooth fungus.

Sea Anemone Mushroom and Octopus Stinkhorn
Stinking Octopus Horn

Sometimes, contemplating such creations, you begin to think about the sanity of the creator. Of course, there are cases when disgusting things turn out to be quite pleasant in taste and smell... but this is not the case: the mushroom, called the “stinking octopus horn”, not only looks disgusting, but also stinks beyond description words.
Side by side with it in Australia grows its brother in stink - the sea anemone mushroom, fragrant with carrion.
sea ​​anemone

In principle, these fungi are not poisonous, but you are unlikely to be able to taste them, because they give off such an aroma that if you try to stuff them into your mouth, you will most likely simply lose consciousness.
Both mushrooms are cunning creatures and in order not to end their mortal existence on the sole of the boot of a compassionate Australian, at the first stages of their lives they pretend to be unremarkable whitish toadstools. After some time, these cunning creatures begin to bloom. The process of transformation into a terrible monster takes place in just a couple of months: during this period, the mushroom cap is divided into 4-5 parts, forming peculiar petals.
The stench is not only defense mechanism from gourmets who want to taste new taste sensations, but also as a bait for flies, which are the main carriers of the spores of these mushrooms.
Other names for sea anemone: aseroe rubra, starfish fungus.
Other names for stinking octopus horn: Clathrus archeri.

Devil's Claw

“Devil’s claw” is something like the thorns of our burdock, which, when launched with a pointed hand best friend got tangled in your hair more than once. The main difference between these two stickies is in appearance: if burdock spines are small, cute lumps that just beg to be picked up, then the devil’s claw is more like an evil man-eating spider that is just waiting to grab your throat.
Once upon a time, these demonic things were “found” only in Arizona, where the indigenous Americans (Indians) wove terrifying-looking baskets out of them and laid out entire “minefields” with them, which enemies preferred to avoid. Today, “demonic claws” have already completely occupied the entire Northwestern United States. I feel that this abomination will soon reach Mother Russia, so if you don’t want to fall victim to the “devil’s claw,” then start stocking up on Roundup and building barrier barricades now.
Other names: Devil's Claw/Devil's Claw.

Chinese Black Batflowers

Still, it was no coincidence that Batman chose a bat as a symbol of intimidation of the criminal population of Gotham. Because these creatures of darkness are terrible: small evil eyes, thin paws with huge hooked nails, sharp teeth, a plump body unevenly covered with hair, and huge wings - what is not a description of a creepy monster from another low-budget, but no less scary, horror film?
And if you are one of those who considers them cute little animals that eat fruit, then you will probably change your mind when one of these creatures grabs your face and sucks out all your blood... but, unfortunately, it will be too late for you .
Of course, all of the above is a joke and there are only a few species of bats in the world that feed on blood and attack only animals in their own weight category, but you must admit that it is simply impossible to look at a rat flying across the sky without shuddering in your heart.
Mother Nature has worked hard in an attempt to create the most terrible and at the same time disgusting plant, endowing it with all the distinctive features bat and adding a bunch of rope-like tentacles for good measure. This product of childhood nightmares is called the Chinese mouse flower.
The flower is grown exclusively as ornamental plant brave gardeners who literally cultivate nightmares, fertilized by human pain, fear and despair. In reality, these people either have balls of steel or a complete absence of them, because not one normal person won't be able to bear staying on his garden plot plants that look like they came straight out of a painting by a mentally ill artist trying to paint a vase, and use human heads as incubators for raising their larvae.

Buddha's Hand

I don’t know what crazy genius decided that this thing looks like the hand of Buddha, to me it’s more like hentai tentacles that are about to engulf another busty beauty.
In fact, the vile tentacles turn out to be quite edible, one might even say tasty, citrus fruit, which is incredibly popular in China and Japan. If you remember the network of toilet-like restaurants, it’s not difficult to understand why the Chinese are crazy about eating this curiosity, but I didn’t expect this from the prim Japanese.
In fact, the Buddha's hand is a strange-looking lemon, which often contains nothing but the peel. Fructina attracts eastern peoples not only because of its unusual appearance, but also for its aromatic properties: in Japan they make tea from it, and in China they keep it at home as a talisman, which brings good luck and happiness to the house, drives away all evil spirits and bestows longevity. These lemon tentacles are also used to make jam, marmalade and violet-scented perfume.
And a little about serious things: traditionally it is believed that Buddha can cunningly twist, fold and turn his fingers during prayer, and at such moments his hands are very similar to these monstrous lemons.
Whatever you want, but if this is really the case, then if I had the opportunity to meet Buddha or good-natured Freddy Krueger in a dark alley, I would most likely choose the latter.
Other names: Citron, cedrate, Corsican lemon, Buddha brush.

Venus flytrap / Dionaea muscipula

I dare to suggest that just a couple of million years ago these monsters ate dinosaurs and were the rightful masters of the planet. But evolution is the enemy of maximalism and all the giants have already either died out or acquired more earthly sizes in order to survive, so today the flycatcher is small plant, feeding exclusively on insects, caterpillars, slugs and frogs.

How it works: inside the mouth-leaf there are many tiny sensitive hairs. A prey crawling onto a leaf irritates these hairs, which in turn send a signal to the cells of the inner part of the leaf to contract and the “mouth” begins to close. Over time inner part the leaf begins to secrete digestive fluid and, exhausted from unsuccessful attempts to get out, the victim begins to slowly digest (this process takes quite long time. For example, it will take a flycatcher about a week to digest a slug).
Don’t be too lazy to look on YouTube to see how this plant eats frogs, grasshoppers... it’s impressive!

Cedar-Apple Rust Fungus

What turns a juicy, healthy apple into a rotting lump of vile horror that harbors a whole brood of worms? If your answer is cedar-apple rotting mushroom (abbr. KYAGG), then, most likely, you were smart and simply read this tricky interweaving of letters that adorns the beginning of this story!

KYAG is a fungal infection that transforms apple and cedar fruits beyond recognition. You can even make horror films about this abomination right now: infected fruits turn into disgusting monsters in just a few months. Here's how it happens: from a tiny fungal spore, an impressively sized spherical body develops - from 3.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter; when wet, this abomination exfoliates, forming disgusting tendrils. As a result, pine nuts and apples turn into little evil Cthulhus.
And yes! I strongly advise you not to taste them. You never know :)

Rafflesia / Rafflesia

Chinese runic flower / Chinese Fleeceflower

The fruits of the “rune flower” have frightening shapes that make them look like little potato people.
The Chinese are uprooting these tiny underground inhabitants from the earth in order to use their naked, defenseless bodies as a panacea for all diseases, including impotence, cancer, AIDS, dementia, etc., etc.

Before turning into life-giving powder, the little men are subjected to all sorts of torture, including: boiling, skinning, soaking in moonshine and dismemberment.

Mark my words, soon the potatoes will get tired of Chinese oppression and rebel against all humanity. So think twice before you decide to restore your “mojo” with the help of a “runic flower”.

Porcupine Tomato

The Porcupine tomato is a one and a half meter monster growing in Madagascar, the leaves of which are covered with terrifying-looking spines. orange color. This spiky miracle has incredibly beautiful purple flowers, collected in clusters with which he lures his victims to him: and now you bend down to pick one of them and find yourself impaled on “deadly” thorns.
In addition to the fact that the Porcupine tomato is prickly and poisonous, it is also almost impossible to kill: it does not care for most chemicals and can survive severe cold and even severe drought. As you already understood, this creation of nature is a monstrous weed that has set the goal of its existence to capture your personal plot. Behind a short time one plant can produce a whole army of Porcupine tomatoes, which in a few weeks will turn into 1.5 meter giants, each of which will fight to the last and shed more than one liter of your blood before being uprooted from the ground.
So if your garden is overrun by Porcupine tomatoes, then don’t even think about engaging in open battle with them, but simply run away.

Penis-shaped plants

And finally, penis-shaped plants, which are incredibly popular throughout the United States of America. And the Americans can be understood: they make up for the deficiency of their manhood with vegetable delights, of all shapes and sizes, for every taste and color.

Do you want to buy a penis pepper? By googling, you will certainly be able to find penis-mushrooms, penis-pears, penis-shaped cacti... and so on ad infinitum.
After contemplating these selection horrors, a picture of the garden in which all this is grown immediately begins to emerge in my head... oh God, now I know what the ideal nightmare of a Russian peasant should look like!

From time to time, amazing pictures of humanoid root vegetables appear on the Internet. What Zheng Decan, a Chinese farmer from Langzhong, demonstrated in 2009 evokes memories of the Harry Potter film - a scene in a greenhouse where Hogwarts students transplant capricious mandrakes that look like scary babies sitting underground.

The roots of a Chinese flower, called runic, according to evidence from different years, sometimes take on this incredible appearance. The 62 cm tall Zheng crop has clearly defined arms, legs and head. The farmer comments: “I don’t know if it’s good or bad that the root looks so much like a person, but I want to bury it back in the ground!”

Let's take a closer look at them...

Chinese flower (Chinese Fleeceflower), which is credited with magical healing properties (scientific name - Chinese knotweed), has been used since ancient times in folk medicine to treat kidney and liver diseases, strengthen bones and restore hair, as a general health remedy, and also as a mild laxative. It is also known as Polygonum multiflorum Thunb (multiflorous knotweed)

Here's what the Chinese say about him:

The fruits of such a plant not only have impressive shapes, but also look like little potato men. These defenseless underground inhabitants are uprooted from the ground by the Chinese, who use the fruits to cure all diseases. Asians believe that this flower helps cure dementia, impotence, cancer and even AIDS. To do this, the little men turn into life-giving powder. However, to achieve this, they are subjected to all sorts of torture, including boiling, skinning, soaking in alcohol, and even dismemberment. Silent little men may someday rise up against such mockery and take revenge on people.

Herbalists describe the properties of the crushed root as follows: sweet, astringent and bitter in taste, warm in nature (but not dry or greasy), has an affinity for the liver and kidney channels. Restores the liver and kidneys, renews the blood, cleanses the original energy. It acts gently and tones very effectively. Anyone who takes runic flower formulations over an extended period will have their life extended.

Most modern Chinese pharmacies stock this natural remedy - for example, a package of 50 sachets of rune flower root in the form of instant tea granules costs $52.00.

A Chinese legend tells that there was a man from the Tang Dynasty who suffered from infertility. By using runic flower herb (fo-ti) for treatment, he was able to heal and, in addition, prolong his life for a long time. Since then, the plant has been considered magical, and Chinese traditional medicine uses fo-ti to combat premature aging, infectious diseases, angina, impotence and other diseases. The root vegetables are dried and then ground into powder. It is boiled, used as a decoction, or infused in alcohol. The Chinese believe that constant consumption of foti can lengthen human life to 256 years.

However, despite the huge number of medicinal properties of this plant, the tuber remains its most attractive part.

As for the creepy root people, perhaps we are dealing with another example of Chinese entrepreneurship. Techniques for shaping vegetables and fruits have been known for many years. It is likely that root vegetables themselves can take on bizarre shapes, but this rarely happens. Most likely, in order to “help” nature, the roots of young seedlings are placed in special templates, and then replanted as they grow and expand, thereby giving them shocking appearances.

There are quite a few versions about this. Some claim that the Chinese plant a runic flower in a clay lump of a certain shape. Thus, the tuber, growing, acquires by autumn an ​​appearance similar to a human figure.

Scientists associate this proliferation of tuber parts with the process of bifurcation of plant tissues, which divide it into two or more large nodes. However, no plant looks more human-like than the runic flower.

For example, like here:

Well, if we return to the mythical mandrake, here’s what we know.

MANDRAGORE is a symbol of all kinds of witchcraft and especially the witchcraft charm of a woman - beautiful and alluring, but at the same time immensely dangerous. This symbol is most fully revealed in the gloomy novel of the German writer Hans Heitz Evers “Alraune”, the heroine of which is a “living mandrake”, the daughter of a prostitute, fertilized with the seed of an executed man. This charming woman brings wealth and pleasure to her lovers, but they all very soon go crazy and die.

Mandrake is an attribute of the Great Mother and the emblem of the sorceress Circe (Circa), who turns people into pigs. In Greece, the mandrake was also associated with Aphrodite, who sometimes received the corresponding epithet. Young men sometimes wore pieces of mandrake as a love amulet.

The name “mandrake” itself probably comes from the Armenian words “mandr” (small) and “or” (like). Symbolic meanings associate mandrake with fever, excitement, the masculine principle, invulnerability, and the umbilical cord. In ancient times, there was a belief that with the help of mandrake you can acquire male strength, find treasure, cure infertility and even become invulnerable. And to this day, mandrake retains the glory of a love potion and a remedy for infertility.

The physician Dioscurides (2nd century BC) identified the mandrake with the kirk plant, about which it is said in the tenth song of the Odyssey:

The root was black, the color was like white milk;

They call him the immortals; it's dangerous for people

Uproot it from the ground,

But to the gods everything is possible.

Mandrake is a sign of the rare, unusual: this is precisely its meaning in the “language of flowers.” The role of mandrake in mythological beliefs is explained by the presence of certain hypnotic and stimulating properties in this plant, as well as the similarity of its root to the lower part of the human body. Therefore, Pythagoras called the mandrake a “human-like plant,” and the Roman writer and agronomist Lucius Columella called it a “half-human grass.” Since ancient times, mandrake has been widely used in folk medicine, magic, witchcraft, and later in alchemy. Among the Germanic peoples, images of household gods were made from mandrake root. Hippocrates used this plant to treat melancholy and suicide attempts, and Josephus Flavius ​​used mandrake to heal those possessed by a demon. Homer mentions that epileptics were treated by inhaling mandrake vapors. There was a belief that the mandrake root served as a powerful thickener of astral energy, and its characteristic human form was considered as the basis for the fantastic theories of magicians who wanted to find the elixir of life in it.

The belief in the stimulating power of mandrake and its role in conception had deep roots: just remember the biblical legend about mandrake apples, which Leah and Rachel use to conceive. The Book of Genesis tells us that Leah conceived and gave birth to Jacob's fifth son after she "bought" him from Rachel with mandrake apples found by her son Reuben. In the Middle Ages, ideas about the ability of mandrake to cause conception led to the emergence of an entire industry for the production of fake mandrake roots.

There are known scenes in which the mandrake glows; therefore, it was called the “devil’s candle.” Mandrake is associated with witches (in the Middle Ages in a number of European countries it was called the “witch’s flower”) and sorceresses. It was believed that with the help of mandrake they could deprive a person of beauty and reason.

Pythagoras called the plant anthropomorphic, and Albertus Magnus wrote that mandrakes, like people, come in different genders. Before him, Pliny the Elder argued that the white mandrake is a male, and the black one is a female. In some folk traditions, based on the type of mandrake root, they distinguish between male and female plants and even give them corresponding names in the spirit of folk etymology. In old herbalists, mandrake roots are depicted as male or female forms, with a tuft of leaves growing from the head, sometimes with a dog on a chain or an agonizing dog.

Collectors of the mandrake, whose leaves were used to make narcotics, laxatives and witchcraft potions, drew three circles around it with a sword and had to look only to the west. Its smell is so strong that it leaves people speechless. The plant called mandrake is like a living creature, for when it is uprooted it screams. This scream can drive those who hear it crazy. Thus, in W. Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” we read:

There is a terrible stench all around, muffled groans,

Similar to the moans of a mandrake,

When they pull it out by the roots,

That sound drives a mortal into madness...

Moreover, according to ancient beliefs, anyone who hears the groan made by a mandrake when it is dug out of the ground must die. To avoid the death of a person and at the same time satisfy the thirst for blood supposedly inherent in the mandrake, by digging it up, they tied up a dog, which was believed to die from agony. In the last book of the “History of the Jewish War,” Josephus advises using a specially trained dog for this, which, having snatched the mandrake, dies.

The image of plants, so closely associated with paganism and witchcraft, could not but undergo changes with the advent of Christianity. During the era of medieval witch hunts, dark legends began to spread about the mandrake. For example, the humanoid form of the mandrake gave rise to legends that it grows at the foot of the gallows. It was said that the mandrake originated from the wet dream of a hanged man that fell to the ground, although Hildegard of Bingen (12th century) believed that the mandrake originated where Adam was created. Thomas Browne wrote in 1646 about the fat of hanged men feeding it.

It is interesting that such an interpretation of the image of the mandrake is characteristic only of Western European culture, while in the Orthodox world the mandrake, or “Adam’s head,” does not have such a sinister meaning and is even considered a remedy against witchcraft.

Source: Borges. H. L. Bestiary: A Book of Fictitious Creatures. M., 2000; Woman in myths and legends: Encyclopedic reference book. Tashkent, 1992; Sheinina E. Ya. Encyclopedia of symbols. M., 2001; Encyclopedia of symbols, signs, emblems. M., 1999.

Look also at what a Flying Dove looks like on a stem or, for example, Monkey Orchids and Doll Eyes. By the way, who hasn't seen it?

From time to time, amazing pictures of humanoid root vegetables appear on the Internet. What Zheng Decan, a Chinese farmer from Langzhong, demonstrated in 2009 evokes memories of the Harry Potter film - a scene in a greenhouse where Hogwarts students transplant capricious mandrakes that look like scary babies sitting underground.

The roots of a Chinese flower, called runic, according to evidence from different years, sometimes take on this incredible appearance. The 62 cm tall Zheng crop has clearly defined arms, legs and head. The farmer comments: “I don’t know if it’s good or bad that the root looks so much like a person, but I want to bury it back in the ground!”

Let's take a closer look at them...

Chinese flower (Chinese Fleeceflower), which is credited with magical healing properties (scientific name - Chinese knotweed), has been used since ancient times in folk medicine to treat kidney and liver diseases, strengthen bones and restore hair, as a general health remedy, and also as a mild laxative. It is also known as Polygonum multiflorum Thunb (multiflorous knotweed)

Photo 3.

Here's what the Chinese say about him:

The fruits of such a plant not only have impressive shapes, but also look like little potato men. These defenseless underground inhabitants are uprooted from the ground by the Chinese, who use the fruits to cure all diseases. Asians believe that this flower helps cure dementia, impotence, cancer and even AIDS. To do this, the little men turn into life-giving powder. However, to achieve this, they are subjected to all sorts of torture, including boiling, skinning, soaking in alcohol, and even dismemberment. Silent little men may someday rise up against such mockery and take revenge on people.

Herbalists describe the properties of the crushed root as follows: sweet, astringent and bitter in taste, warm in nature (but not dry or greasy), has an affinity for the liver and kidney channels. Restores the liver and kidneys, renews the blood, cleanses the original energy. It acts gently and tones very effectively. Anyone who takes runic flower formulations over an extended period will have their life extended.

Most modern Chinese pharmacies stock this natural remedy - for example, a package of 50 sachets of rune flower root in the form of instant tea granules costs $52.00.

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A Chinese legend tells that there was a man from the Tang Dynasty who suffered from infertility. By using runic flower herb (fo-ti) for treatment, he was able to heal and, in addition, extend his life for a long time. Since then, the plant has been considered magical, and Chinese traditional medicine uses fo-ti to combat premature aging, infectious diseases, angina, impotence and other diseases. The root vegetables are dried and then ground into powder. It is boiled, used as a decoction, or infused in alcohol. The Chinese believe that constant consumption of pho-ti can lengthen human life to 256 years.

However, despite the huge number of medicinal properties of this plant, the tuber remains its most attractive part.

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As for the creepy root people, perhaps we are dealing with another example of Chinese entrepreneurship. Techniques for shaping vegetables and fruits have been known for many years. It is likely that root vegetables themselves can take on bizarre shapes, but this rarely happens. Most likely, in order to “help” nature, the roots of young seedlings are placed in special templates, and then replanted as they grow and expand, thereby giving them shocking appearances.

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There are quite a few versions about this. Some claim that the Chinese plant a runic flower in a clay lump of a certain shape. Thus, the tuber, growing, acquires by autumn an ​​appearance similar to a human figure.

Scientists associate this proliferation of tuber parts with the process of bifurcation of plant tissues, which divide it into two or more large nodes. However, no plant looks more human-like than the runic flower.

For example, like here:

Well, if we return to the mythical mandrake, here’s what we know.

MANDRAGORE is a symbol of all kinds of witchcraft and especially the witchcraft charm of a woman - beautiful and alluring, but at the same time immensely dangerous. This symbol is most fully revealed in the gloomy novel of the German writer Hans Heitz Evers “Alraune”, the heroine of which is a “living mandrake,” the daughter of a prostitute, fertilized with the seed of an executed man. This charming woman brings wealth and pleasure to her lovers, but they all very soon go crazy and die.

Mandrake is an attribute of the Great Mother and the emblem of the sorceress Circe (Circa), who turns people into pigs. In Greece, the mandrake was also associated with Aphrodite, who sometimes received the corresponding epithet. Young men sometimes wore pieces of mandrake as a love amulet.

The name “mandrake” itself probably comes from the Armenian words “mandr” (small) and “or” (like). Symbolic meanings associate mandrake with fever, excitement, the masculine principle, invulnerability, and the umbilical cord. In ancient times, there was a belief that with the help of mandrake you can acquire male strength, find treasure, cure infertility and even become invulnerable. And to this day, mandrake retains the glory of a love potion and a remedy for infertility.

The physician Dioscurides (2nd century BC) identified the mandrake with the kirk plant, about which it is said in the tenth song of the Odyssey:

The root was black, the color was like white milk;
They call him the immortals; it's dangerous for people
Uproot it from the ground,
But to the gods everything is possible.

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Mandrake is a sign of the rare, unusual: this is precisely its meaning in the “language of flowers.” The role of mandrake in mythological beliefs is explained by the presence of certain hypnotic and stimulating properties in this plant, as well as the similarity of its root to the lower part of the human body. Therefore, Pythagoras called the mandrake a “human-like plant,” and the Roman writer and agronomist Lucius Columella called it a “half-human grass.” Since ancient times, mandrake has been widely used in folk medicine, magic, witchcraft, and later in alchemy. Among the Germanic peoples, images of household gods were made from mandrake root. Hippocrates used this plant to treat melancholy and suicide attempts, and Josephus Flavius ​​used mandrake to heal those possessed by a demon. Homer mentions that epileptics were treated by inhaling mandrake vapors. There was a belief that the mandrake root served as a powerful thickener of astral energy, and its characteristic human form was considered as the basis for the fantastic theories of magicians who wanted to find the elixir of life in it.

The belief in the stimulating power of mandrake and its role in conception had deep roots: just remember the biblical legend about mandrake apples, which Leah and Rachel use to conceive. The Book of Genesis tells us that Leah conceived and gave birth to Jacob's fifth son after she "bought" him from Rachel with mandrake apples found by her son Reuben. In the Middle Ages, ideas about the ability of mandrake to cause conception led to the emergence of an entire industry for the production of fake mandrake roots.

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There are known scenes in which the mandrake glows; therefore, it was called the “devil’s candle.” Mandrake is associated with witches (in the Middle Ages in a number of European countries it was called the “witch’s flower”) and sorceresses. It was believed that with the help of mandrake they could deprive a person of beauty and reason.

Pythagoras called the plant anthropomorphic, and Albertus Magnus wrote that mandrakes, like people, come in different genders. Before him, Pliny the Elder argued that the white mandrake is a male, and the black one is a female. In some folk traditions, based on the type of mandrake root, they distinguish between male and female plants and even give them corresponding names in the spirit of folk etymology. In old herbalists, mandrake roots are depicted as male or female forms, with a tuft of leaves growing from the head, sometimes with a dog on a chain or an agonizing dog.

Collectors of the mandrake, whose leaves were used to make narcotics, laxatives and witchcraft potions, drew three circles around it with a sword and had to look only to the west. Its smell is so strong that it leaves people speechless. The plant called mandrake is like a living creature, for when it is uprooted it screams. This scream can drive those who hear it crazy. Thus, in W. Shakespeare’s “Romeo and Juliet” we read:

There is a terrible stench all around, muffled groans,
Similar to the moans of a mandrake,
When they pull it out by the roots, -
That sound drives a mortal into madness...

Moreover, according to ancient beliefs, anyone who hears the groan made by a mandrake when it is dug out of the ground must die. To avoid the death of a person and at the same time satisfy the thirst for blood supposedly inherent in the mandrake, by digging it up, they tied up a dog, which was believed to die from agony. In the last book of the “History of the Jewish War,” Josephus advises using a specially trained dog for this, which, having snatched the mandrake, dies.

The image of plants, so closely associated with paganism and witchcraft, could not but undergo changes with the advent of Christianity. During the era of medieval witch hunts, dark legends began to spread about the mandrake. For example, the humanoid form of the mandrake gave rise to legends that it grows at the foot of the gallows. It was said that the mandrake originated from the wet dream of a hanged man that fell to the ground, although Hildegard of Bingen (12th century) believed that the mandrake originated where Adam was created. Thomas Browne wrote in 1646 about the fat of hanged men feeding it.

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It is interesting that such an interpretation of the image of the mandrake is characteristic only of Western European culture, while in the Orthodox world the mandrake, or “Adam’s head,” does not have such a sinister meaning and is even considered a remedy against witchcraft.

Source: Borges. H. L. Bestiary: A Book of Fictitious Creatures. M., 2000; Woman in myths and legends: Encyclopedic reference book. Tashkent, 1992; Sheinina E. Ya. Encyclopedia of symbols. M., 2001; Encyclopedia of symbols, signs, emblems. M., 1999. Look at what it looks like or for example and. By the way, who hasn't seen it? The original article is on the website InfoGlaz.rf Link to the article from which this copy was made -

Have you watched tons of horror films and think that nothing can scare you anymore? Then get ready to learn about the 12 creepiest plants that grow, perhaps, right in the backyard of your cozy home.

Bloody Tooth / Hydnellum peckii

1. This cute fungus looks like chewed gum, oozes blood and smells like strawberries. But don’t even think about eating it, because it will be the last “delicacy” you will taste in your life.

2. The fungus has been known to mankind since 1812 and is considered inedible, i.e. Once upon a time, in dark, dark times, there lived a genius who sacrificed his life for the glory of science in order to warn his descendants against eating this “delicacy.”

3. In addition to its outstanding external qualities, this abomination has antibacterial properties and contains chemicals that thin the blood. What can I say, this mushroom may soon become a replacement for penicillin (which, by the way, was derived from a mushroom of the species Penicillium notatum).

4. If you don’t have enough thrills and you intend to immortalize your name in the annals of history at all costs (the Darwin Award and the title of the dumbest suicide on planet Earth are already in your pocket), then just lick this miracle of nature ...

5. Other names: Strawberries and cream, The red-juice tooth, Devil’s tooth, Bleeding tooth fungus.

Doll's Eye

6. At best, this “beauty” looks like an alien weed, and at worst, like a totem dug into the ground with human eyes planted on it, which a serial killer used to mark the burial place of all his 666 victims.

7. This unusual plant is called “doll eyes”. There is also a less telling name for this horror - black sheep.

8. This plant does not have any special features other than its appearance; you can even taste it, then tell us about your feelings.

Octopus Stinkhorn

9. Sometimes, contemplating such creations, you begin to think about the sanity of the creator. Of course, there are cases when disgusting things turn out to be quite pleasant in taste and smell... but this is not the case: the mushroom, called the “stinking octopus horn,” not only looks disgusting, but also stinks so much that you can’t describe in words.

10. In principle, this mushroom is not poisonous, but you are unlikely to be able to taste it, because such an aroma emanates from it that if you try to stuff it into your mouth, you will most likely simply lose consciousness.

11. Another name for the “stinking octopus horn” is Clathrus archeri.

Sea Anemone Mushroom

12. Side by side with the “stinking octopus horn”, its stinking cousin, the sea anemone mushroom, which smells like corpses, also grows in Australia.

13. Both mushrooms are cunning creatures, and in order not to end their mortal existence on the sole of the boot of a compassionate Australian, at the first stages of their lives they pretend to be unremarkable whitish toadstools. After some time, these cunning creatures begin to bloom. The process of transformation into a terrible monster takes place in just a couple of months: during this period, the mushroom cap is divided into 4-5 parts, forming peculiar petals. The stench is not only a defense mechanism against gourmets who want to try new taste sensations, but also a bait for flies, which are the main carriers of the spores of these fungi.

14. Other names for sea anemone: Aseroe rubra, starfish fungus.

Devil's Claw

15. “Devil's claw” is something like the thorns of our burrs, which, having been launched with a mark by the hand of our best friend, have more than once become entangled in your hair. The main difference between these two stickies is in appearance: if the burr spines are small, cute lumps that just beg to be picked up, then the devil's claw is more like an evil man-eating spider that is just waiting to grab your throat.

16. Once upon a time, these demonic things were “found” only in Arizona, where Native Americans (Indians) wove terrifying-looking baskets out of them and laid out entire “minefields” with them, which enemies preferred to avoid.

17. Today, “demonic claws” have already completely occupied the entire northwestern United States. Perhaps this abomination will soon reach Russia, so if you don’t want to fall victim to the “devil’s claw,” then start stocking up on Roundup and building barrier barricades now.

18. Other names: Devil's Claw.

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Chinese Black Batflowers

20. After all, it was no coincidence that Batman chose a bat as a symbol of intimidation of the criminal population of Gotham. Because these creatures of darkness are terrible: small evil eyes, thin paws with huge hooked nails, sharp teeth, a plump body unevenly covered with hair, and huge wings - what is not a description of a creepy monster from another low-budget, but no less scary horror film? And if you are one of those who considers them cute little animals that eat fruit, then you will probably change your mind when one of these creatures grabs your face and sucks out all your blood... But, unfortunately, for you it will be already late.

21. Of course, all of the above is a joke and there are only a few species of bats in the world that feed on blood and attack only animals in their own weight category, but you must admit that it is simply impossible to look at a rat flying across the sky without a shudder in your heart.

22. Let's take a closer look at this nasty plant.

23. And here is another photograph taken from a different angle.

24. Mother Nature did a great job in trying to create the most creepy and at the same time disgusting plant, giving it all the distinctive features of a bat and adding a bunch of rope-like tentacles for good measure. This product of childhood nightmares is called the “Chinese mouse flower.”

25. The flower is grown exclusively as an ornamental plant by brave gardeners who literally cultivate nightmares, fertilized by human pain, fear and despair. In reality, these people either have balls of steel or no balls at all, because no normal person can tolerate having a plant in their garden that looks like it just came out of a painting by a mentally ill artist trying to paint a vase and uses human heads as incubators for raising their larvae.

26. So, how do you like it? Isn't it true, this abomination looks like bats hanging upside down, just waiting for darkness to spread their wings and soar into the skies... I apologize, the last photo is not a plant, but a real bat, but , you must agree, the similarity is obvious and there is hardly a person in the world who, having stumbled upon a mouse flower in the pre-dawn hour, will be able to distinguish it from a living creature.

Buddha's Hand

27. I don’t know what crazy genius decided that this thing looks like the hand of Buddha, to me it’s more like hentai tentacles that are about to engulf another busty beauty. In fact, the vile tentacles turn out to be quite edible, one might even say tasty, citrus fruit, which is incredibly popular in China and Japan. If you remember the network of toilet-like restaurants, it’s easy to understand why the Chinese are crazy about eating this curiosity, but I didn’t expect this from the prim Japanese.

28. Essentially, the Buddha's hand is a strange-looking lemon, which often contains nothing but the peel. Fructina attracts eastern peoples not only with its unusual appearance, but also with its aromatic properties: in Japan they make tea from it, and in China they keep it at home as a talisman that brings good luck and happiness to the house, wards off all evil spirits and bestows longevity. These lemon tentacles are also used to make jam, marmalade and violet-scented perfume.

29. And a little something serious: traditionally it is believed that Buddha can cunningly twist, fold and turn his fingers during prayer, and at such moments his hands are very similar to these monster-shaped lemons. Whatever you want, but if this is really the case, then if I had the opportunity to meet Buddha or good-natured Freddy Krueger in a dark alley, I would most likely choose the latter.

30. Other names: citron, cedrate, Corsican lemon, Buddha brush.

Venus flytrap / Dionaea muscipula

31. I dare to suggest that just a couple of million years ago these monsters devoured dinosaurs and were the rightful masters of the planet. But evolution is the enemy of maximalism, and all the giants have already either become extinct or, in order to survive, acquired more terrestrial sizes, so today the flycatcher is a small plant that feeds exclusively on insects, caterpillars, slugs and frogs.

32. How it works: inside the mouth-leaf there are many tiny sensitive hairs. A prey crawling onto a leaf irritates these hairs, which in turn send a signal to the cells of the inner part of the leaf to contract, and the “mouth” begins to close. After some time, the inside of the leaf begins to secrete digestive fluid, and the victim, exhausted from unsuccessful attempts to get out, begins to slowly digest (this process takes quite a long time - for example, it will take a flycatcher about a week to digest a slug).

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Here's a look at how this monster eats a frog alive:

Cedar-Apple Rust Fungus

37. What turns a juicy, healthy apple into a rotting lump of vile horror that harbors a whole brood of worms? If your answer is “cedar-apple rotting mushroom” (abbr. KYAGG), then, most likely, you were smart and simply read this tricky interweaving of letters that adorns the beginning of this story!

38. KYAGG is a fungal infection that transforms apple and cedar fruits beyond recognition. You can even make horror films about this abomination now: infected fruits literally turn into disgusting monsters in just a few months.

39. Here's how it happens: from a tiny fungal spore, an impressively sized spherical body develops - from 3.5 to 5 centimeters in diameter; when wet, this abomination exfoliates, forming disgusting tendrils.

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41. As a result, pine nuts and apples turn into evil little Cthulhus.

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43. And yes! I strongly advise you not to taste them. You never know :)

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Rafflesia / Rafflesia

45. In the photo there are children tasting the incomparable aromas of rafflesia, who could just as well have stuck their “blond” heads into the asshole of a public village toilet.

47. This unusual plant has no stem or roots, and its main part is a giant flower with five fleshy petals.

50. The rafflesia seedling gradually penetrates into the roots of the host plant with the help of suckers (haustoria). Those parts of the seedling that, for some reason, find themselves outside the “body” of the host simply die off. Presumably, Rafflesia seeds are awakened to germinate by exposure to secretions from potential host plants. These same substances orient the direction of seedling growth.

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Chinese runic flower / Chinese Fleeceflower

57. The fruits of the “rune flower” have frightening shapes that make them look like little potato people.

58. The Chinese uproot these tiny underground inhabitants from the earth in order to use their naked, defenseless bodies as a panacea for all diseases, including impotence, cancer, AIDS, dementia, etc. and so on...

59. Before turning into life-giving powder, the little men are subjected to all kinds of torture, including boiling, skinning, soaking in moonshine and dismemberment.

60. Mark my words, soon the potatoes will get tired of Chinese oppression and rebel against all humanity. So think twice before you decide to restore your “mojo” with the help of a “rune flower”.

Porcupine Tomato

Reference: Porcupine is an arboreal porcupine.

61. The Porcupine tomato is a one and a half meter monster growing in Madagascar, the leaves of which are covered with terrifying-looking orange spines. This thorny miracle has incredibly beautiful purple flowers, collected in clusters, with which it lures its victims to itself: and now you bend down to pick one of them, and find yourself impaled on “deadly” thorns.

62. In addition to the fact that the Porcupine tomato is prickly and poisonous, it is also almost impossible to kill: it does not care for most chemicals and can survive severe cold and even severe drought. As you already understand, this creation of nature is a monstrous weed that has set the goal of its existence to take over your garden plot. In a short time, one plant can produce a whole army of Porcupine tomatoes, which in a few weeks will turn into 1.5-meter giants, each of which will fight to the last and shed more than one liter of your blood before being uprooted from the ground.

63. So if your garden is overrun by Porcupine tomatoes, don’t even think about engaging in open battle with them, but simply run away.

Penis-shaped plants

64. And finally, penis-shaped plants, which are incredibly popular throughout the United States of America.

65. Do you want to buy a dick? Then go to Amazon. If you Google, you will certainly be able to find arthroplasty, arthropear, penis-shaped cacti... and so on ad infinitum.

66. After contemplating these selection horrors, a picture of the garden in which all this is grown immediately begins to emerge in my head... Oh God, now I know what the ideal nightmare of a Russian peasant should look like!

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